[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 174 (Friday, September 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53663-53664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17927]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7966-9]


Notice of Availability of Final NPDES General Permits MAG910000 
and NHG910000 for Discharges From Groundwater Remediation, Contaminated 
Construction De-Watering, and Miscellaneous Surface Water Discharge 
Activities in the States of Massachusetts and New Hampshire and Indian 
Country Lands in the State of Massachusetts: The Remediation General 
Permit (RGP)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of final NPDES general permits MAG910000 
and NHG910000: The Remediation General Permit (RGP).

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SUMMARY: The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection at the 
Environmental Protection Agency's New England Regional Office (EPA-NE), 
is issuing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 
general permits to cover discharges of contaminated ground and surface 
waters in Massachusetts (MA), New Hampshire (NH), as well as in Indian 
Country lands located in MA, to surface receiving waters (waters of the 
United States) related to the following: groundwater remediation 
activities; construction projects where chemical contamination is 
present in the water; well development or rehabilitation and aquifer 
pump testing at formerly contaminated sites; clean-up of industrial 
sumps; hydrostatic testing of pipelines and tanks; and short-term 
testing at dredging projects not covered by a permit issued by the Army 
Corps of Engineers.
    The purpose of this document is to inform the public that the new 
general permit in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, known as the 
Remediation General Permit (RGP), is now available. The Notice of 
Availability for the draft RGP was published in the Federal Register on 
November 2, 2004 (69 FR 63531). In response to a number of requests, on 
December 8, 2004, EPA-NE extended the comment period from December 17, 
2004, to January 18, 2005.
    During the public comment period, EPA-NE received 18 sets of 
comments regarding the RGP. EPA-NE prepared a response-to-comments 
document and made a number of corresponding changes to the RGP, 
including, but not limited to: removing utility vaults and manholes 
from the applicability, allowing the use of historic data in certain 
circumstances, expanding the period of intermittent shutdowns from 90 
to 120 days, etc. The response-to-comments document is available with 
the final general permit.
    The final RGP establishes notification requirements, effluent 
limitations, monitoring requirements, and administrative requirements, 
as well as other standards, conditions, prohibitions, and management 
practices for discharges to both fresh and marine waters. The RGP does 
not cover new sources as defined under 40 CFR 122.2. Also, the final 
RGP does not cover discharges from utility vaults and manholes, as 
proposed. Rather, EPA plans to develop a separate general permit for 
that discharge category.

DATES: The general permit shall be effective September 9, 2005. See the 
general permit for specific application deadlines.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning the 
final permit may be obtained between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from: (1) Steven Rapp (617-
918-1551) or Roger Janson (617-918-1621), Office of Ecosystem 
Protection, EPA-NE, 1 Congress St., Suite 1100 (mail code: CMP), 
Boston, MA 02114-2023; e-mail: [email protected] or 
[email protected]; (2) Mr. Paul Hogan or Ms. Kathleen. Keohane,

[[Page 53664]]

NPDES Permit Unit, MA DEP, 627 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608; e-
mail: [email protected] or [email protected]; and (3) 
Mr. Jeff Andrews, NH DES, Wastewater Engineering Bureau, P.O. Box 95, 
Concord, NH 03302-0095; e-mail: [email protected]. Additionally, 
the Fact Sheet, response to comments, RGP, and other information, such 
as the suggested notice of intent (NOI) form can be accessed on the 
EPA-NE Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/mass.html#dgp and 
http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/newhampshire.html#dgp.

    Dated: August 31, 2005.
Robert W. Varney,
Regional Administrator, Region 1.
[FR Doc. 05-17927 Filed 9-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P